[ Like a Shrimp (2) ]
“Yerim? You signed a contract to join Haeyeon Guild, remember?”
“It was a priority, not an absolute. Didn’t you help me revise that, Mister?”
Yes, I did. Yerim spoke in a sharp tone.
“I’ll add a condition to my contract with Haeyeon Guild that Mister will be my guardian. I saw on TV that even A-ranks can attach all sorts of extra conditions. Usually, it’s about getting items, but there’s no reason it can’t be a person, right?”
That’s true, but why me…? Does she even remember that we’ve known each other for less than a day? There’s no need for such stubbornness. Is this some kind of side effect of awakening?
“Alright, let’s calm down for a second. There’s no need to add that condition to the contract. Appointing a guardian is your right, Yerim.”
Her expression softened at my words.
“Really? Then I don’t have to listen to the guild leader?”
“Exactly. As long as I agree—”
“Hyung.”
…Now it’s your turn, huh? I was wondering when you’d step in.
“You need to think carefully about this. We’re talking about an S-class here, not some other rank. From my own experience, I can tell you that every kind of creep will start crawling out of the woodwork the moment they hear about a young S-class. And Yerim is only fifteen, so it’ll be even worse.”
“But losing an S-class would be worse, right? Being in a guild would cover that to some extent. As long as Yerim doesn’t ignore my advice, it should be fine. She’s not that bad of a kid, is she?”
“I’m nice.”
Yerim said flatly, moving closer to me. If she could control her strength, she’d probably have grabbed my arm and pulled me closer.
“I’ve just gotten a bit rough around the edges because of my uncle, especially that bastard Park Sucheon. But I’m actually nice. My elementary school teachers used to praise me all the time.”
“…Then could you back up a little? Just one step, no, two steps.”
I’m scared she’ll grab my arm out of excitement. One tug, and it’d probably pop right off. Yerim obediently stepped back, then stared at me as if to say, “See, I’m good.”
Okay, I admit it. You’re nice.
I sighed inwardly and turned back to my brother. How did I end up caught between these two?
“As the guild leader, your first priority should be securing an S-class, no matter what. Why are you suddenly being so stubborn?”
“An S-class that’s out of control is worse than none at all.”
“Even so, it’s better to secure her first and then negotiate a transfer for a hefty price.”
“Transfer? You mean sending me somewhere else.”
Yerim edged closer again. Can’t she keep a safe distance?
“That’s only if you’re too headstrong. But you said you’re nice, so there shouldn’t be a problem, right?”
“Right, I’m nice. No problem, then.”
She stepped back again, as if to prove her point. Good, just stay there quietly.
“More importantly, as I said before, the guardian issue is between Yerim and me. You can offer advice as the guild leader, but anything beyond that is overstepping.”
Yuhyun let out a short sigh at my words.
“If you insist, I won’t stop you. But be careful. In the world of awakeners, nothing matters more than rank. It might be okay now, but there’s no guarantee it won’t change.”
As he spoke, Yuhyun glanced at Park Yerim. Yerim didn’t shy away and met his gaze head-on.
Their stare-off was icy, and being stuck between them was giving me a headache.
We were getting along fine just a moment ago. Why does this guardian issue have to be such a big deal?
“Nothing matters more than rank? So that applies to you too, right, Guild Leader? Oh, you just made up with Mister a few days ago, didn’t you? I guess that ‘rank’ caused the rift?”
…What? Did Yerim just throw down the gauntlet?
“I only kept my distance to protect him. That’s different from someone who selfishly wants to keep him close.”
Yuhyun shot back, and Yerim’s expression darkened with anger at the accusation of selfishness.
Yuhyun, if she gets so mad she loses control, you might be fine, but I’m in danger here.
“Both of you, stop.”
I quickly intervened before the situation could escalate further.
“Why are you picking a fight over something so trivial?”
“This isn’t trivial!”
“It’s not trivial.”
Damn, fine, it’s a big deal. Why do you two only agree when it’s against me?
“Anyway, let’s leave it at that. If you want to keep arguing, go ahead, but I’m out of here.”
“Hyung?”
“Mister, are you upset?”
Why would I be upset?
“I’m just scared. If you two slip up, I’m dead.”
“I won’t mess up!”
“I’m past the point of making those kinds of mistakes.”
Yerim glared at Yuhyun.
“I’ll adapt soon enough!”
“Fine, just stop this tension in front of me. I feel like a shrimp caught in a whale fight.”
It’s bad for my heart. Both of them shut up at that. At least they listen well.
“The guardian issue is settled. And Yerim, I’m sorry, but I can’t stay here with you. It’s too dangerous if equipment gets broken and debris starts flying. But I’ll come down early tomorrow.”
“…Okay.”
Yerim seemed dissatisfied, but she nodded.
“By the way, even if you don’t get along with him, shouldn’t you let your uncle know where you are? It’ll be a hassle if he files a report.”
“No need. I’ve stayed out at friends’ houses plenty of times after fights. Just let the school know.”
“Alright. See you tomorrow, then.”
I left the training room and headed for the elevator. My brother walked beside me, still looking unhappy about the guardian thing but staying silent.
“What’s her current guardian like?”
Yuhyun asked as I pressed the elevator button.
“A guy who cares more about money than family. He took all of Yerim’s parents’ inheritance and didn’t even buy her new shoes. He also makes her work in his restaurant for free.”
“Then he’ll probably cause trouble later.”
“A hundred percent. So, give me some money.”
“You’re going to bribe him?”
“Something like that.”
I’ve dealt with people like that before. Their greed is insatiable, so you can’t just give them a little bit and expect them to be satisfied. You need to have a solid grip on their weak spot.
We can’t afford to have our precious S-class getting tarnished, right?
“And since Yerim’s here, I’ll move to the staff dormitory too.”
I said as I watched the elevator doors open. Haeyeon Guild has some external housing, but I can’t live outside with Peace and all the people who’ll be causing trouble because of the new S-class.
“…What are you doing?”
When I turned around in the elevator, I saw Yuhyun holding down the door button with a disapproving look on his face.
“Do you like that girl so much?”
What kind of nonsense is this?
“I’ve known her for less than a day. There’s no time to like or dislike her.”
“You seem to be going out of your way for her, though.”
“It’s just basic decency to take care of a kid. Especially when I brought her here to help me. If I didn’t do this much, what kind of person would I be?”
I said the guardian issue was settled, so why bring this up again? …Is it because I said I’d move to the dormitory? Just in case, I added:
“Moving to the dormitory is just because it’s more convenient. I’m not giving up my place; I’ll just use both. It wouldn’t be right to bring Yerim to your house, would it?”
Yuhyun’s house has a greenhouse filled with dungeon creatures, not to mention several S-class items he’s labeled as personal collectibles. He can’t just let anyone come and go.
“Having a separate place is more convenient, I guess.”
Yuhyun said as he finally stepped into the elevator. So that’s what it was about.
“I’ve got a separate house for receiving guests too.”
“You do?”
“A detached house is better for meeting people quietly. Some folks don’t like being in the spotlight.”
People who don’t like being in the spotlight, huh? Unregistered awakeners, perhaps.
Not all awakeners register with the association, of course. Especially those who want to use their abilities in the real world, against ordinary people, avoid the Hunter Association. After all, registering all their stats and skills would be like saying, “Come and arrest me.”
I briefly wondered if Yuhyun was up to anything shady behind the scenes, but I didn’t ask. It’s not like he’s one hundred percent clean.
I wasn’t exactly squeaky clean before I regressed either… Well, no need to dig up the past.
“Miss Park Yerim will have to stay here for at least a year… Looks like there’s a lot to prepare.”
Yuhyun said he’d be busy for a while and got off on one of the middle floors. I went straight home and headed to the greenhouse.
“Peace!”
The horned red cat wagged its tail excitedly behind the glass wall. It bounced around, looking overjoyed to see me.
“You cute little thing!”
I quickly opened the greenhouse door and took Peace out.
-Kiang!
“Yeah, yeah.”
The warmth and softness of Peace as it clung to me instantly soothed my nerves. Ah, the stress is melting away. You’re the best. Is this why people have pets?
“Let’s go eat.”
Forget human S-classes; I’d rather raise a beast S-class. See, how sweet and cute this one is.
I set Peace down in the kitchen and opened the fridge to take out some raw meat. It wasn’t beef, chicken, or pork but monster meat. I put the bluish meat in a grinder and ground it finely. Then I took out a glass jar from my inventory.
The jar, slightly smaller than a 500ml water bottle, was filled with red mana stone powder. It contained the equivalent of twenty C-rank mana stones, worth a staggering two hundred million won.
“At this rate, I’m going to lose all sense of money.”
Ten days’ worth of food for this little guy costs two hundred million won. That’s six hundred million a month. It’s like money has lost all meaning.
-Grrr
Peace circled around my feet, eager for its meal.
“Alright, hold on. I’ll feed you soon.”
I scooped out some mana stone powder with a measuring spoon and mixed it into the ground meat. Then I shaped it into balls about the size of half a fist.
“Peace, look here. Time to eat.”
Just like in those dog training videos, I used the meatball to get Peace’s attention. Its golden eyes were locked onto the food in my hand.
Good.
“I love you.”
I said clearly as I gave the meatball to Peace. It happily gobbled it up. I repeated the process until all the meat was gone.
How long will it take for the training to kick in? Since it seems to have the intelligence of a dog or cat, it shouldn’t take too long.
-Kyarr! Grrrr
Peace, now full, playfully nipped at my foot without hurting me. Maybe I should buy some toys. Would a cat toy be better, or a dog toy?
I picked up the bouncing Peace and went to the living room. I sat on the sofa and took out a lightweight cloth belt from my inventory, shaking it in front of Peace, who immediately grabbed the end and started tugging. It’s B-rank, so it shouldn’t tear, right?
-Grr, grrr!
“Easy, easy. I’m not strong.”
Should I get those manticore leather gloves? But as the weather gets hotter, leather gloves might not be the best idea. Maybe I should ask the guild if they have any good items. Or should I level up instead?
“How much was that F-rank dungeon exclusive pass?”
If I want to go without Yuhyun knowing, I’ll need an exclusive pass that guarantees secrecy. I don’t remember exactly, since I only participated in auctions before regressing. The average bid for an upper F-rank dungeon was around three hundred million won. For an exclusive pass, I’d have to pay at least twice that.
“Come to think of it, how much money do I have?”
I can’t remember my bank balance from five years ago. There should be the one million won awakening registration bonus, and did I have any savings?
“I think I quit my job to meet the awakening broker… and I used my severance pay and savings to pay him off.”
As I recall, I didn’t actually hand over the money to the broker. So there should be a decent amount in my account, but I’ll need to check… What was my digital certificate password again?
“…There’s no way I remember.”
I’ve changed my password three times over the last five years due to reissues. How do those people who regress and plan to win the lottery remember all these details? I can’t even remember my own password.
“Looks like I need to go to the bank too.”
-Grrr!
“If I’ve got enough money, maybe I’ll invest in stocks. What was rising back then?”
Come on, memory. There were a few stocks that skyrocketed due to new materials or substances related to dungeons. Which pharmaceutical company developed that hair loss treatment?
Just then, my phone vibrated. I took it out of my pocket and saw a call from an unknown number. There was no ad warning, so who could it be?
“Peace, play by yourself for a bit. Hello?”
[Hello, Han Yujin.]
A man’s voice came through the phone. It sounded familiar. Who is it?
[This is Seok Gimyeong, head of human resources at Haeyeon Guild.]
…Damn, it’s this guy. Should I just hang up?
–TL Notes–
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